A double dose of winter fun

You may be sick of snow. But it's only the beginning of February and even Punxsutawney Phil told us we're in for six more weeks of winter. So we might as well just grin and embrace it. That's what Emmaus and Allentown are doing this weekend, with festivals dedicated to the snow and all things winter. Friends of Allentown Parks is debuting its Winterfest at Cedar Beach to encourage people to explore the city's extensive parks in the winter. Emmaus' SnowBlast is in its eighth year and has became an anticipated annual celebration of the cold and the arts. Read on for the details.

Allentown Winterfest showcases city parks

Karen El Chaar says when the Friends of Allentown Parks decided to organize Allentown's first ever Winterfest, she consulted The Old Farmer's Almanac.

"It said the first 10 days of February will be cold and snowy so that's why we picked this date," she says.

Apparently the Farmer's Almanac knows what it's talking about since there's plenty of the white stuff all around the west end of Allentown's Cedar Creek Park, where the new festival is located.

Winterfest will offer the chance to try all types of winter snow sports. Young ones can learn to snowboard over bumps at Bear Creek's Riglet Park. Families can strap on snowshoes for a hike along scenic Cedar Creek. Anyone can make a snowman or snow sculpture in Snowman Alley. Or gather a couple strapping friends to compete in the human dogsled race.

The event also includes horse and carriage rides, giant lawn chess and, mead wine sampling, for adults only. There's also a Civil War encampment by the 3rd Arkansas Company of Lehigh Valley, complete with a live drill and volley.

"We wanted to do this two years ago but we had a lack of snow," says El Chaar, president of Friends of Allentown Parks.

There's no such problem this year, and she says the event will be an opportunity to showcase Allentown's park system.

"This park is beautiful in the winter and it gets the kids outside," she says.

Bear Creek Mountain Resort and Burton Snowboards will introduce children 3 to 6 years to snowboarding with its Riglet Park, in which it creates a gentle terrain park at Cedar Creek Park for little ones to learn balance while riding over mellow rollers, small berms and ground level features on a snowboard safely attached to a lead.

Test your snowman or snow sculpting skills in a snowman-building contest to win prizes. Advance registration is requested. The cost is $10 per plot in advance and $15 Saturday by 12:30 p.m.

Volunteers from Wildlands Conservancy will help you learn snowshoeing and Buckman's Ski Shop will have cross-country skis to try out in the park. Snowshoeing costs $5 per person but everyone is welcome to bring their own showshoes or ski equipment and join in the snowy fun. Trying out cross-country skis is free.

Those age 18 and older can sign up a team of five people for the human dogsled contest and win prizes. There will be two categories– college and all other. Advance registration is required and costs $20 per team.

All snow activities take place in the field on the west side of Ott Street between Cedar Creek and Honochick Drive.

Horse and carriage rides which leave from the stone house at 2700 Parkway Blvd. cost $10 per adult and $4 per child age 12 and under.

The Lehigh Valley Chess Association will be on hand to teach everyone how to play chess on its giant chessboard and DJ music by Zach Clinchy and Richard Bieniek will keep families moving all during the event.

After playing in the snow, warm up by a campfire and visit the stone house near the Allentown Rose Garden, where adults can sample mead wine from Stonekeep Meadery of Boyertown. There also will be Subway sandwiches, chocolate chip cookies and hot chocolate for sale at the stone house.

SnowBlast packed with arts events, icy attractions

For the past couple years, Emmaus' SnowBlast festival has used light-up snowflakes to stand in for the white stuff, but this year Mother Nature has cooperated.

"We're so excited," says Teri Sorg-McManamon of the Emmaus Arts Commission. "It's going to look so pretty with the lighted snowflakes, the Ice Bar, snowmen painted by Emmaus students ... and snow!"

The 8th annual event, Friday night and Saturday afternoon in downtown Emmaus, is bigger than ever too, says Sorg-McManamon, with 27 venues along the borough's Main and side streets offering music, artists and treats.

"What started as a way to get people outside and moving around during the middle of winter has been shaped into an arts happening in the borough of Emmaus," says Ellen Wilson of the arts commission.

From outdoor games sponsored by Lehigh Valley Martial Arts to painting demonstrations by local artists, there is plenty to keep a family busy.